


The Closest Approximation

by epshlan



Category: Community
Genre: Character of Color, Chromatic Character, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-20
Updated: 2010-12-20
Packaged: 2017-10-13 21:09:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/141745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epshlan/pseuds/epshlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It occurs to Troy one day that a lot of Abed's films involve the two of them having sex.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Closest Approximation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [preromantics](https://archiveofourown.org/users/preromantics/gifts).



Troy's [Kickpuncher](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDhtBYT8NKQ&feature=related) outfit looks pretty badass on screen as he watches himself take out the ninjas in the movie (each one played by a different version of Abed). Even though Troy and Abed had to use foil and cardboard for Kickpuncher's costume, the stiffness of the foil on his robotic arm makes his back-fist punches look like they really hurt.

Too bad the costume got in the way of the sex scene. He's pretty flexible and everything, but while dressed in Kickpuncher gear he couldn't really get his body to pull off the "softness of a leading man, like Patrick Swayze in _Ghost_ " that Abed was originally going for. But Abed said it was okay, since they could just film the hero having angry hate sex instead, which would add an extra layer of meaning to the hero's character arc.

Troy still has no idea what Abed meant by that, but the outfit really does show off the snapping of his hips, and Troy can appreciate that he looks damn fine on film as Kickpuncher has sex with his girlfriend up against the alley wall, celebrating the defeat of the zombie ninjas.

He's not sure what everyone in the room is thinking though when they all gasp at what's playing on the screen of Abed's laptop. Troy guesses that isn't what Abed was going for when he offered to show everyone the latest cut of his _Kickpuncher_ sequel during study group, because the scary part of the movie was, like, ten minutes ago.

"Um, Abed, is there a reason why you filmed a _Kickpuncher_ porno with you and Troy in it?" Jeff tilts his head at Abed's laptop. "Is that a [Mexican Halloween](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mexican%20halloween)?"

Annie squeaks and covers her mouth, staring at the screen. After a moment, she tilts her head just like Jeff's.

"I'm sure we all approve of your lifestyle choices, and the methods in which you wish to express your sins, but why is Abed playing the girlfriend?" Shirley asks, her voice doing that high-pitched thing it does.

"It's more of a satirical tribute to the original _Kickpuncher_ series than anything else. And since this is a dark comedy, I wanted to play as many characters as possible to pay homage to Peter Sellers' multiple roles in _Dr. Strangelove_. Also Troy's kind of uncomfortable filming love scenes with people he doesn't know."

"Couldn't you get someone else," Shirley says, looking around the room, "like Annie or Britta?"

Britta steps back, putting her hand up. "Uh-uh, no way. No. And if I were to do a film like this, no way would my character have a Mexican Halloween with Kickpuncher. That move's demeaning to all parties involved in it." She pauses. "Unless they're drunk. Really, really drunk." Jeff flashes her a look.

"A Mexican Halloween signifies absolute trust despite feelings of resentment both before and after sex." Abed hits the pause button on his computer, freezing the frame on Kickpuncher defeating a rabid cat. "It's okay. It's all verisimilitude, you guys. There's no actual nudity either in this film, or on set while we were shooting it. If it weren't for the fact that the lead female is played by a man, the MPAA would give this film a PG-13 rating at most." He turns to Troy. "The MPAA's notoriously frightened of female orgasms, independent films, and non-comedic cross-dressing," he explains.

The group nods in agreement. "It's true," Jeff says just as Britta pumps her fist and tells Abed, "Right on." Even Shirley's muttering about what the MPAA did to _How Stella Got Her Groove Back._

"I don't care if you're gay, Troy." Pierce pats Troy's back, then wipes his hand on his own sweater. "Just make sure to stick to your own bathroom when we're at home. And, of course, I'll make sure to wear a shirt at all times so you won't be tempted by my physique."

"Why would a shirt keep you from telling the future? And why would anyone want to stop that from happening?" But no one really answers Troy's question by the time Abed presses the play button on the movie again.

* * *

The fact that everyone thinks that the two of them are dating doesn't bother Troy anymore, especially since he knows by now that they're probably just jealous. Abed and Troy definitely have the closest friendship of the whole group. Even though Jeff and Britta –- and Jeff and Annie -– have loud arguments about once a month over whether or not it actually means anything when they sleep together (or that one time Annie and Britta had that argument, which was _awesome_ ), it still doesn't come close to matching how Abed always remembers to tell Troy to look away when there's a centipede on the Discovery Channel. Or how Abed totally doesn't think it's weird when Troy suggests reenacting _Forrest Gump_ with GI Joe dolls, and doesn't even look at him funny when Troy ends up crying after Cobra-Jenny tells Spy-Trooper-Forrest that she has AIDS.

So it doesn't really occur to Troy that a lot of Abed's movies involve the two of them being not just together but _together_ -together until he decides to meet up with Abed for lunch.

Troy tip-toes quietly into the classroom Abed's using to film the latest episode of [_Community College Chronicles_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJOiaIoWV8w&feature=related). Abed's behind the camera while Chronicle-Abed and Chronicle-Troy are sitting on the lecturer's desk, rapping about the latest _Kickpuncher_ sequel. Troy's only there for a little bit, staying by the door so he won't get in the way of the camera, when Chronicle-Abed straddles Chronicle-Troy's hips and the two of them start kissing.

"And cut," Abed announces after a minute. "Okay, Sanjay and Lejon, I'll see you back here in about an hour?" Sanjay and Lejon keep making out. "Make it two."

Abed walks over to Troy. "Hey."

"Hi, Abed." Troy waves his hand. "Hey man, uh, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"Did you write that?" Troy looks over at the front of the class, where one of Sanjay's hands is sneaking beneath Lejon's letterman jacket, while the other hand is rubbing against one of Lejon's braids in a way that's both totally weird and sort of hot. Not that Troy is thinking about Chronicle-Abed or Chronicle-Troy in that way at all.

"What? No. I would never write something that self-promotional. I'm going to cut out the part where they're talking about _Kickpuncher_. I'm already going to have a hard time keeping people from associating me with M. Night Shyamalan just because I'm a person of color directing genre movies. Hollywood doesn't need another narcissistic South Asian filmmaker."

"I don't mean that. I mean the part where, you know." Troy gives Abed what he hopes is a meaningful look, but Abed just seems confused. "You know, the part where you -- where you and I make out," he says, voice low. Troy doesn't know why it feels weirder to watch Abed film versions of themselves getting together than when Abed and Troy are role-playing movie characters in love. It just seems like it means more, somehow.

"Oh, that. No, I've been letting the two of them improvise their scenes. I give them character notes and then let them go with the flow. I want my webisodes to feel more spontaneous now that I'm in Advance Filmmaking 102. They're not doing that great of a job, though. Sanjay and Lejon mostly keep rapping and talking about _Kickpuncher_. I think I broke them."

"They're also kissing."

"They were having a hard time getting a handle on the characters, so I told them to just observe us to help them get some ideas."

"Wait, are they stalking us?" Troy remembers passing Sanjay in the library a few times last week.

"Only Sanjay's following us." Abed's forehead wrinkles in thought. "And I don't think he's really stalking us. I think he mostly takes notes on us whenever he sees us together."

They look over to see that Sanjay is now sitting away from Lejon, clutching a small pad and a pen, glancing over at Abed every once in a while as he furiously scribbles something down. Lejon on the other hand is sitting there with his legs crossed awkwardly, his eyes overly focused on the cover of the chemistry book he's holding over his lap.

"The kissing is Sanjay's interpretation of our interactions with one another. I think Lejon just likes making out." Abed moves to put away his camera. "Western society has a hard time understanding bromances. People always mistake close male friendships as romantic ones because it goes against what we typically expect to see from male heroes. Take Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, for example."

Troy raises his eyebrow. "Yeah. Those two are pretty gay for each other." Troy picks up Abed's camera bag, slinging it over his shoulder.

"Right. So when Chronicle-Abed and Chronicle-Troy started making out, it made sense. It's an exaggeration, but it's also the closest approximation I'll be able to get of our friendship on camera."

Troy nods. "That's true." And because it seems like the right thing to do, Troy holds out his hand and they tap out their secret handshake. Still, Troy can't help but feel this weird sinking sensation in his gut. It kind of reminds him of the time he found out snow angels weren't actual angels.

Abed collapses his tripod and picks it up. "Okay. So what are we going to eat today?"

"I could go for some chicken fingers, but I heard that the Dean is gonna change them to chicken nuggets to save money," he says, opening the door for Abed. "Lame."

"Lame," Abed agrees.

* * *

As soon as Troy gets back home that night, he turns on his computer and downloads the _Kickpuncher_ sequel that Abed emailed him a few days ago. He starts the movie at the sex scene, wanting to see what everyone else sees when they watch Troy and Abed hang out. The camera-work's actually pretty good, and Troy still really likes his Kickpuncher costume.

But he doesn't remember why he had his hand reach up to caress Abed's leg halfway through the scene. The gesture seems way too gentle for two characters in the middle of a Mexican Halloween, but he also remembers the warmth of Abed's surprisingly smooth thigh beneath his fingers during filming. And suddenly Troy is desperately hard, watching Abed breathe heavily on screen.

Abed's nasty wig is in tangles as Kickpuncher-Troy pushes him up against the wall. Abed rubs his hand against his own side, moving his shirt enough to reveal a little bit of his flat stomach. Actual-Troy, on the other hand, winds up palming his own dick through his own jeans as Abed moans for the camera.

He feels irrationally jealous of his computer as Kickpuncher-Troy's hand slowly creeps up Abed's thigh, which is stupid because he was there – he just didn't notice how hot Abed was when they first did the scene. And Abed is hot. Like, really really hot. So hot that Troy has to undo his jeans so he can work his fingers into his boxers.

Troy feels a little embarrassed when he comes, bucking against his own hand just as the Abed on his computer yells out in a high falsetto, "Oh, Kickpuncher! If only we could truly be together. Not just in body, but in soul!"

* * *

He spends the next few days watching every movie on Abed's website.

There are a lot of movies with them making out. There's the first _Kickpuncher_ movie they did, and that time they wanted to see if they could figure out how to set up the upside-down kiss from _Spider-Man_ (mostly involving Troy hanging from a jungle gym by his legs, which they made cooler by having him kiss Abed-as-Batman instead of Mary Jane), and a couple of other short videos. There are even more films of Lejon and Sanjay making out as Troy and Abed.

Mainly, though, there are films of the two pretending to be Bert and Ernie, or fighting as Wolverine and Cyclops, or reenacting _Police Academy_ movies, or just rapping together. There's the one episode of _Troy and Abed in the Morning_ that they taped before deciding that it was way better without a camera. Even the entire _Forrest Gump_ series is on the website.

Abed is the first friend that Troy's ever had where he could say anything and have it taken seriously, where he never has to watch how he acts or how much he cries. It's nice to finally have someone who always knows Troy needs tissues whenever he watches a Pixar movie.

Troy's known this the whole time, but he wasn't really _aware_ of it, and now it's so much harder to act chill around Abed. He keeps noticing how Abed finishes his sentences, how Abed can perfectly communicate with him (just him) by moving his eyebrows, how they automatically and wordlessly exchange their fruit cup and french fries at every lunch. He doesn't know when or how they started that last one -- if it was because Abed hates eating deep-fried food now that he doesn't have to eat at his dad's restaurant every day, or if it was because Abed had figured out Troy's fear of maraschino cherries.

He's over-thinking things, which is annoying and really, really exhausting. He wonders if this is what it's like for Annie all the time.

Still, he doesn't totally mind this weird hyper-awareness about everything Abed does. Because when Abed starts talking about doing a Greendale Community College version of _Jackass_ , wondering who should be the show's Johnny Knoxville, Troy and Abed both name-check "Leonard" at the exact same time. Troy beams a smile at Abed, and when Abed points a quick finger gun at Troy, making a little clicking sound at the back of his tongue, Troy's heart picks up and he can feel himself flush. It's kind of nice.

* * *

"Is it weird that Abed and I have a lot of videos where we play characters in love? It doesn't really mean anything if we're acting, right?" he asks Britta while they're warming up in the dance room one day. His hamstrings and Achilles tendons feel tight, so he's using the barre to help him stretch out. His leg is hooked around the end, his leggings bunching up a little around his knees. "I mean, is it gay?"

Britta's hand is also on the barre as she flexes her feet and randomly bounces up and down. Troy figures it's some tap-dancing thing, though he knows Britta's mostly holding onto the barre because of that one time she accidentally clipped her heel and slipped. "There's a whole history of men playing both female and male roles on stage, though that was less about tolerance and more about the subjugation of women into roles related to baby farming."

"Right." He's pretty sure Britta's trying to be supportive, although he's also pretty sure subjugation had something to do with BDSM -- though if that's the case, it would make history way more interesting. "But, I dunno, do you think it means anything to Abed? 'Cause he's the one doing the casting. Would it be kind of gay for him too?"

Britta stops stretching. Her hand drops from the barre, and she looks at Troy. "Wait, Troy... Are you coming out to me?"

"I - Maybe? I'm not sure. The butt stuff sounds sort of awesome, but I really just like hanging out with Abed. And I keep thinking about how we always end up together in his movies, and I really have no idea what's going on. And I have no idea how Abed feels." He tilts his pelvis so he can feel more of a pull in his hamstrings. "It's messing with my head, Britta. I keep wondering about it and researching stuff, and you know how much I don't like studying. I figured I should just ask you."

"Me?"

"Yeah. You're really smart, and you probably have lots of experience with this because of your whole, you know, love triangle deal with Annie and Jeff." He can't go to Annie with this because there's too much history between them, and he definitely can't talk about this with Pierce or Shirley. And it would be just too weird to talk to Jeff about sometimes wanting to kiss another dude. Plus he thinks he might have a connection with Britta, since they still dance together even though Nana beat her with a switch that one time.

"Oh, Troy." She comes and gives Troy a half hug, pressing her head against his shoulder. They look pretty cute together in the mirror. It's too bad he's gay for Abed and she's totally in the middle of some confusing three-way relationship. She pats Troy's side and looks at his reflection. "Look. My whole love life is seriously complicated. It's like sitcom bad. But you should just go to Abed and let him know how you feel. You guys are so close, you're practically dating already. And this is _Abed_ we're talking about. Either he feels the same way, or he won't care and he'll still want to make blanket forts with you."

He takes his leg off the barre and does a quick half-turn into Britta's arms. "You really think so?"

"Count on it."

* * *

Troy plops down on the couch right next to Sanjay, who's spent the last couple hours staring at their study group through the glass walls that separate their room from the rest of the library.

"You can't -- um. What? Hi." Sanjay has his notepad pressed tight against his chest. "Oh, hey... funny seeing you here," he says in a too-bright voice.

"Hey, Sanjay. What're you up to?" Troy sprawls out, forcing Sanjay to edge over to the far end of the couch.

"Nothing at all. Just writing notes. To myself." Sanjay tries to look everywhere but at Troy. "About, um, my thoughts." Troy can see why Sanjay's not very good at improv.

"Okay. Right. So, Sanjay, let me tell you how this is going to go." Troy smiles wide at Sanjay. "You are going to give me that pad," Troy says, pointing at Sanjay's chest, "and in return, I'll tell you stories that will help you with your acting process or whatever. _After_ you give me that pad." Troy's smile turns into something that's more like bared teeth.

"No way." Sanjay's voice is shaky, but he actually sounds pretty sure of himself. Damn.

Troy sighs and goes to Plan B. "Or I can loan you my letterman jacket from high school so Lejon can wear it for the webisodes."

"Deal," Sanjay quickly agrees. He doesn't give Troy the notepad until Troy pulls the jacket out of his backpack. Sanjay stands up right after they're done with their exchange, fists clutching the jacket to his chest, not taking his eyes off of Troy as he walks backward toward the exit. He waits until he's halfway across the library before turning around and sprinting into the hallway.

Troy stays on the couch, going through Sanjay's pad. There aren't a lot of notes on him, but instead there are pages and pages about Abed: about how Abed only seems to be able to finish Troy's sentences, about how Abed always puts on Chapstick before he goes out to lunch with Troy, about how Abed leans against Troy's shoulder when he naps, about how Abed eats his fries whenever he isn't eating lunch with Troy. It makes adrenaline rush through Troy's body, like it used to right before a football game. He wants to jump up and holler a little.

At the same time, it also leaves Troy a little creeped out. It's like that movie Abed made him watch that one time, where that girl's roommate gets a haircut just like hers before stealing her life and having sex with that dude from _Wings_. Troy is so never getting that jacket back from Sanjay, and he's probably going to need to warn Abed at some point.

But that still doesn't keep his heart from doing this weird fluttering thing when he goes back to the study room, Abed smiling at him as he walks in through the door. It's all he can do to keep from busting out a pirouette before he takes his seat next to Abed.

* * *

They're filming a scene as the [Sesame Street martians](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTc3PsW5ghQ). Abed and Troy spend a day going back and forth over whether or not they should wear mop heads so it looks like they have tentacles, but in the end they just settle on wearing headbands with antennae as they say "yip yip yip" while discovering things like Annie's purple pen and Jeff's Italian faucet.

They spend about an hour repeating "yip" while looking confused and amazed, popping up and down beneath the table, tilting their head in weird ways as they stare at the pen while referring to their "Guided Martians Manual." It's ridiculously fun, and both of them are exhausted and breathless by the time Abed thinks they have enough footage to cut together for a film.

Abed takes off his headband, rubbing his hair to get rid of the impression the antennae left behind. There's a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth, and Troy can see the small beads of sweat gathering at Abed's hairline as he leans over to grab Troy's headband. And before Troy knows what he's doing, he's tilting his head up and kissing Abed, whose lips are soft underneath Troy's own.

Abed's arms freeze in the air, like they're not sure of where they should go. After a moment, Troy starts to wonder if he read the whole situation all wrong, but then Abed finally drops the headbands and wraps his arms around Troy's back, leaning into Troy so that the table edge digs into Troy's side a little. They stay like that for a while until Troy pulls away. He licks his lips nervously; they taste like the cherry Chapstick Abed uses all the time.

Troy's right hand is now resting against Abed's chest, and he can feel Abed's heart beating underneath his fingertips. Abed's pupils are wide and Troy can't help but look down, focusing on Abed's swollen lips instead.

"This isn't - this isn't Bert and Ernie making out, or the Martians making out, or whatever we play today or tomorrow. And this isn't me trying to act out our bromance on camera," Troy says, swallowing. His mouth feels dry. Abed's jaw is slightly red from brushing against Troy's stubble. "This is me, Troy, making out with you, Abed, because I kind of think you're really hot and awesome and really really cool. And I have more fun with you than with pretty much anyone else in my life."

"Oh." Abed brings a hand up to Troy's shoulder, long thumb caressing the hollow above Troy's collarbone. He's chewing his lip, thinking something over. And then he's looking at Troy like Troy's a puzzle that he just figured out. "I thought this was sort of like a Judd Apatow film, where we acknowledged and played up the homoeroticism between us, but then eventually settled down with generic leading women after reaffirming the strength of our friendship. But it's not like that at all, is it?"

"No, it's really not," Troy agrees. He looks over and notices that the camera recording light is still on. So Troy reaches out his hand to power off the camera before leaning back in to kiss Abed some more -- just the two of them together, no audience required.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to preromantics for her awesome and inspiring prompt. And another huge thank you to my two incredible betas, athenejen and curiouslyfic. They helped me turn this story around in record time, shaping up this fic with their encouragement and mighty grammar sticks. If it weren't for them, this story would probably make Troy cry.


End file.
